William Martino

Marketing and advertising professional who believes passionately in leveraging digital and relationship marketing to meet business goals, deliver positive ROI, and transform the relationship that brands have with their consumers.

Bill and I worked together many moons ago and have lived very similar careers, starting as creatives, finding our way to the same job as a User Experience Director, and now, working for WPP (though doing slightly different things).

It was great to catch up with him to talk about wearables, healthcare marketing, and technology. And Apple, because you have to talk about Apple.

I’ve been working in healthcare in some capacity for almost 15 years, and I find it fascinating (and a little frustrating) that brands like soft drinks and energy drinks—which can literally make you sick if consumed in excess—have greater affinity and “brand love” than medicines and products that make you feel better. Products that you purchase once every 4 or 5 years (like automobiles) are driving greater engagement than ones you use and buy almost every day. Why is this?

It’s a question that I tried to answer in my presentation to the Connect 2014 Social & Mobile conference last week in Mexico City, “Learning from luxury cars and sugar water—how healthcare marketers can increase brand value through social engagement" (available for viewing and download below).

Using one of our tools here at Wunderman called BrandSnap which tracks reach and brand engagement across social properties like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Pinterest, you can objectively see how different brands participate in the social space.

The data is quite revealing. As industries, there is a huge difference between OTC pharmaceutical products and non-alcoholic beverages, for example. On their owned social platforms, these non-healthcare brands are building and sustaining large audiences, actively developing interesting content, and shaping a conversation with and around their brands in a way that is very different from how healthcare brands are communicating.

Based on the out-of-category examples I found—and contrasting them with select healthcare brands—I also offer a few suggestions on how to successfully drive deeper engagement and, ultimately, brand love (which I’ll explore and explain a bit further in future posts):

Know your business

Reframe your value proposition

Be more consumer-centric

Keep it interesting

Enjoy!

What Wiggo & Froome can teach agencies about new business presentations

Sir Brad won Le Tour in 2012, but not without some drama between himself and his “faithful” lieutenant, Chris Froome. The plan was to support Wiggo, and tensions between the two of them escalated when many suspected that Froome was, arguably, the stronger rider and was being held back.

In 2013, Froome won the Tour (without Wiggo), and now the shoe is on the other foot as he prepares to defend the yellow jersey in 2014 as the clear leader of Team Sky. There has been speculation all year as to whether the two would race together and it seems as if the answer is no.

What does any of this have to do with advertising?

I’ve been working on a lot of new business lately, and often, one of the most important things to decide is casting for the “pitch” team. Getting this right is essential—clients can feel a vibe in the room immediately and it’s how business is won and lost. Team chemistry can compensate for whatever is missing from the presentation itself or undermine the greatest presentation in the world. However, too many agencies get this wrong because they choose the players based on things like seniority and ego, and not who is right for the room and the team.

I don’t think Sir Dave Brailsford, Principal of Team Sky, has ever worked in an ad agency, but he clearly understands the importance of casting. He’s made a bold move—recognizing that for all that Wiggins may offer as a rider, it doesn’t outweigh what he potentially takes away as a teammate. There is no doubt that his skills as a bike rider would make Team Sky better, but his relationship with Chris Froome could be toxic during the three-week pressure cooker that is the world’s toughest bike race, and make them a lot weaker as a unit.

Chemistry is more important than talent.

One aspect that is often misunderstood about cycling is that it is truly a team sport. A few individuals get the attention and praise, but none of it would be possible without teammates that work and sacrifice to make those people successful (whether it’s protecting them from the wind or carrying extra water bottles and rain gear).

The chemistry among those people is what separates successful teams from the rest. And whether it’s winning the Maillot Jaune or a piece of new business, teams that click—that support each other and all work selflessly for the same goal—win.

First, and most importantly, the world is in a constant state of flux. Consumer behavior changes all the time, with technology accelerating this change daily. Brands that are not in tune with tomorrow (because they’re so focused on today) are in for a world of hurt.

Sometimes this means that successful, vibrant businesses have to die for others to flourish. The list of examples is long—some successful, some not—from IBM (good bye hardware, hello consulting) to Netflix (tried to get out of the DVD business), and of course Apple. These decisions are not always popular and have very real effects on people (both the consumers that use and love these products and services, and the people that work on them), but they are often necessary for future growth.

The second lesson is that leadership often means making difficult decisions and having the conviction to do what is unpopular, but ultimately right in the long term. Wall Street doesn’t always like this, and many a leader has caved in to short-term pressures until it was too late. But then there are those who stand by their vision, can inspire their company around it, execute against it flawlessly, and reap the rewards.

Time will tell if Nike’s move is the right one (personally, I think it is). Either way, I applaud their willingness to trust in where their industry is headed and make a bold move—to make a short-term sacrifice in order to create longer-term prosperity.

As the 2014 Brand Activation Conference winds down here in Chicago, it’s possible to see how the presentations have revolved around several recurring themes. Each of these has implications that we, as modern marketers, should be paying attention to.

I’ll explore a few of these in greater detail in future posts, but here are a few take-aways that I’ll take home with me:

Content, content everywhereNo surprise here, but a content-driven approach was a major component of many of the successful examples shared. Now, more than ever, our job as marketers is to tell stories—to construct a narrative around people’s lives and to connect with them emotionally. I firmly believe that brands have a role in this narrative, but it’s not to bombard people with self-serving messages—it’s to add tangible value to their lives in some way. Brands from Benjamin Moore to Betty Crocker saw opportunities to activate and engage, not by being the star of the show, but by playing a supporting role or by serving as the catalyst for something much larger (and frankly, more interesting).

Are you still telling one-sided stories that are all about your brand? Or are you seeking opportunities to generate and capture content that people really want to interact with? Embrace the opportunity to act like a publisher and let new forms of content drive the narrative of your brand.

Know what makes you greatSaid another way, play to your strengths. Brian Jennings and Keith Wachtel really hit this point well when talking about how they’ve been building and strengthening the NHL brand. They understood early on that the players are their greatest asset, and have created some pretty amazing engagement platforms around them.

As a brand, do you know what makes you better or different from your competitors? If you don’t, find out. Ask consumers. Listen to social dialogue. Activating around your assets is a key way to build consumer engagement and stand out from your competitors in a sustained way.

Know what’s holding you backMarty St. George from JetBlue brought this to life when talking about his greatest obstacle to building a different kind of airline. In his case, it’s consumer expectations—that as an industry, they’ve promised (through 50 years of advertising) new, shiny planes and attentive flight attendants waiting at your beckon call; but they (again, as an industry) have delivered delays, lost bags, and left people with impression that they’re trying to separate you from your money at every opportunity possible.

What’s your greatest obstacle? Is it something you can control (like price perception or distribution?), or are you at the mercy of the market? Remember that the answer is not what’s holding you back from making money, but what’s holding you back from affecting consumer perception and behavior. You need to understand the things that are standing in the way of winning their hearts and minds.

Know what business you’re really inJetBlue isn’t in the transportation business, they’re in the customer service business. By recognizing this, it redefined their offering, how they communicate, and how they activate their passengers. This enabled them to act not as a company that provides a commoditized offering (air travel), but one that takes care of people and delivers an experience. It changed the playing field and helped them to behave much differently.

UPS knows they’re in the business of logistics, not shipping. Starbucks isn’t in the coffee business, they’re in the business of connecting people. What business are you really in?

Stand for a higher purposeBuilding successful brands is about good fundamentals—positioning, functional and emotional benefits, reasons to believe—but also about knowing where and how you add value to people’s lives. David Melancon’s example of how Benjamin Moore activated consumers to “Paint what matters” wasn’t just successful because it was a great idea—it’s because it was born out of the company’s values and the manifesto that the company uses to define its brand, which itself was built upon sharp insights about what matters to the people they are trying to reach.

J&J has their credo. Google has their mission and 10 things. What does your brand really stand for? Does it have a clear reason for being? What role do consumers want you to play in their lives? The answers to these questions reveal the ways to meaningfully connect with the people you’re trying to reach.

What’s on the inside mattersPeter Drucker once said that “culture eats strategy for breakfast,” and it’s because a strategy is only as good as the people (and the culture) that can execute it. JetBlue can’t be a great customer service company unless they create a company culture that empowers their employees to do the right thing for the customer, anywhere, any time. As Marty St. George said, when your company is about service, then every employee is part of the marketing team. They have a culture built on values that every person is expected to know and believe in.

Does your culture enable the kind of connectivity that you want with consumers? Or does bureaucracy and red tape prevent you from acting on the ideas that you know will build your brand? Activating consumers starts from the inside.

The more you tighten your grip, the more star systems slip through your fingers.~Princess Leia

Things didn’t end well for the Empire (or Grand Moff Tarkin, for that matter), largely because of their desire to rule through intimidation—which was borne out of a fear of losing power. Princess Leia saw the writing on the wall, so to speak, but it fell on deaf ears. Agencies of today, take note: you may be heading towards a similar fate.

Now, more than ever, the drawn lines that separate different marketing channels (and therefore, different agency responsibilities) are blurring. Everything is digital, so nothing is. We’re all trying to earn media in the form of social dialogue and engagement. PR may be about shaping public opinion, but isn’t that what all communication is supposed to do?

Every day, as I interact with other agency partners and work in cross-functional teams, I see our world at a crossroads. We can either act from a place of fear and get territorial about what we “own”, or do what’s right—which is making decisions in the best interests of our clients as a means to communicate with consumers.

I firmly believe that the agencies that will thrive in this world of non-siloed communications will be those that decisively chose to “loosen their grip” and do the right thing.

It’s cliche, but with this approach, everyone wins. We’re a tighter team that is integrated and opportunistic. We communicate more effectively with consumers, and the brands we market become more successful. Business grows, which, in theory, should make it easier to scale and reinvest in the brand. Our scopes should grow and we’re all happy.

Most importantly, clients get what what they should out of their agency partners, which is a high-performing team that services their needs in a unified and integrated way (vs. a bunch of people that act independently and with conflicting agendas).

Getting there is relatively easy.

Clients: clearly define roles and responsibilities, who owns what, and reinforce that predatory behavior won’t be tolerated. Enable your agencies to think about your business, not worrying about who is going to stick a knife in their back.

Agencies: throw away your business cards and put your channel ownership to the side. Radically embrace collaboration, lead with ideas (not channel-specific tactics that you will execute), and contribute in a way that meaningfully adds value to the team (not just your agency’s coffers). Don’t worry, there will be plenty for you to own and execute later (and plenty of money to make in the process).

I was just at Starbucks for a much needed afternoon pick-me-up and was struck by something so ordinary, yet so strange—the woman in front of me was paying with cash. As in paper money.

I’m one of those people that rarely carries a lot of cash; I use debit and credit cards for almost everything, even if it’s for small transactions. At Starbucks (and a few other retailers) I pay with my iPhone and stopped using cash a long time ago.

Of course I still use cash on occasion, but there was something about seeing someone pay with paper money in a Starbucks that felt so antiquated and strange. In many ways, it’s a reflection (and reinforcement) of who Starbucks is as a brand that I had that feeling—they are modern, digitally savvy, current; cash is the opposite, the epitome of analog. I don’t know that I would have felt the same way if I bought a coffee in say, a Dunkin Donuts.

Consumer behavior is changing constantly and technology is accelerating the pace of change exponentially. Yet at the same time, old habits die hard. Even though we, as marketers, are quick to adopt new technologies and cater to the needs of our most progressive customers, my experience at Starbucks is a simple reminder: don’t forget about the slow movers too. They’re still out there.

This morning on the Subway, I noticed a campaign from ConEd titled “Everything Matters.” It touts the energy company’s commitment to making their systems reliable and safe and encourages people to learn more on Facebook and Twitter.

Great. But why?

If I live in NYC, I have no choice but to use ConEd. I can’t switch to a competitor, and if I hate their service, there’s nothing I can really do about it (except vocally complain). I’m not going anywhere.

So why advertise? To earn good-will? Make me feel secure and confident that my lights will stay on during a storm? OK, there’s value in that, but why tout that in a mass way? You know the name and address of everyone who lives in the city and is a customer; why not use a more direct channel?

Better yet, why not just put the money into doing your job as best as you possibly can and winning me over with customer service and reliability? My guess is that companies like ConEd would see a much greater return through earned media by taking care of their current customers than they ever would in wooing them through paid media. Heck, Zappos built an empire of a business doing exactly this, and there are dozens of successful companies that have adopted the same mindset.

ConEd will always have their customers’ dollar, but they may not have their voice (or their networks). In the digital age, the latter is much more valuable.

Whenever I listen to music, I start at track 1 and listen until the end. I rarely start a new album unless I finish the one I’m listening to. Back when people still bought digital music, I would always buy the whole album. I like seeing playcounts that are all the same.

(Insert something here about my OCD tendencies…)

For whatever reason, I’ve always appreciated artists and musicians based on their body of work (an album, a career), not 4 minutes.

What does this have to do with marketing? Well, when it comes to social engagement, I’m an “album” guy as well.

I’m a bigger fan of brands that make more of an ongoing, holistic commitment to social (even if it’s not as flashy) than the “one hit wonders.” Companies like Jet Blue, Best Buy, Zappos, Warby Parker. Brands that have made social part of their DNA and use it to grow their businesses.

In my opinion, too much emphasis and attention is placed on the social “hits”—the perfectly timed tweets that slingshot around the world—and not enough on the “albums”—the body of work. Last year’s Super Bowl set this in motion (I’m looking at you Oreos), and it’s been reinforced ever since during big, mass relevant events like the Oscars and Grammy’s (hello Arby’s). Heck, the agency I work for created the most re-tweeted tweet of all time:

Don’t get me wrong, responding in real time with something relevant and impactful is impressive—brands that are able to do this well have taken the time to put the people and processes in place to make it happen and are at a state of readiness that many companies envy.

But we shouldn’t lose sight of the proverbial forest for the trees. Social strategies should drive sustainable growth, not just spikes in engagement that flame out as quickly as they came. We realize short term gains by taking the long view and using social to help us deliver broader business outcomes.

Said another way, producing “hits” happens because of a commitment to making great “albums.” It should be a result, a consequence—not an end or a goal.

Change is constant in terms of how we go to market and engage consumers, especially in the healthcare space. We’re seeing and feeling the effects of things like healthcare reform—how it’s empowering consumers to take more control of their health and forcing manufacturers to think about outcomes and Value (with a capital V).

With that as a backdrop, I’m looking forward to a few days at ePharma, where, hopefully, people will be talking about the impact of this change on our industry and how digital can help us.

So far, so good.

The last time I was at this conference (5 or 6 years ago), it was overwhelmingly about tactical digital execution. How to “do” social media (or not, in the case of many of the examples). What a good website looks like. Charts and data about what people want online.

But this year, however (and we’re still in the morning of the first full conference day), the presentation and the dialogue is noticeably different.

Muti-channel marketing.Organizational change.Managing talent.

It seems as if pharma marketers have finally crossed the Rubicon and accepted that digital marketing isn’t a separate thing. It’s not something to solve or “do” or apply to a marketing plan. It’s a business enabler, a disruptor, a transformative way to communicate.

As I see things, it’s my job to have a point of view, an opinion. And if I truly believe in what I’m selling all day (that technology can transform the relationships that brands have with consumers), then I should USE those technologies to share my opinion.

The tricky part is that most of what I see and talk about on a daily basis is confidential. I’ve struggled with how to be interesting while still treating the information I’m trusted with appropriately. Rather than challenge myself (“doing a good job”), I’ve played it safe (“working at keeping my job”); I’ve said nothing.

Not anymore.

It goes without saying that confidential information will stay that way. I have a responsibility to my clients (and my employer), that I would never violate (it should also go without saying that what I write here is my opinion, not that of anyone else). But I can’t use that as an excuse.

Marketing and advertising professional who believes passionately in leveraging digital and relationship marketing to meet business goals, deliver positive ROI, and transform the relationships that brands have with people.

Experience

Oct
2014 - Present

Global Client Lead / Wunderman

Dec
2012 -
Oct
2014

SVP, Director of Strategy / Wunderman

Dec
2009 -
Oct
2012

SVP, Director of Digital Marketing / Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness

In addition to my role as head of the Digital Strategy department, I also assumed a lead account role on several key client relationships, including Chattem, Merck, Merial, Abbott, and AstraZeneca—accounts with an emphasis on strategic guidance and cross-functional integration. Responsible for a significant portion of the agency’s annualized revenue, I led and grew (through new business acquisition and organic growth) 8 market-leading brands across multiple channels (TV, print, digital, CRM, social) and customers (consumer and HCP).

Apr
2007 -
Dec
2009

VP, Digital Strategy / Saatchi & Saatchi Wellness

Drawing upon experience in both the digital and healthcare space, my focus was on building and growing the agency’s digital capabilities. As the department lead and a member of the agency’s management team, I was responsible for helping to guide the overall strategic direction and growth of the business unit, acquire new business, cultivate organic growth among our existing client base, identify short- and long-term staffing needs, improve process, and educate & train staff about digital marketing. My contributions helped to transform the agency and deliver consistent annual growth of both digital and overall revenue.

With the support of a team of digital strategists, I also offered strategic direction, insights, and thought leadership across all digital channels for our clients (including Abbott, Merck, Novartis, and Sanofi). Partnering closely with account and creative teams on individual pieces of business, my role was to: develop strategic and tactical plans to optimally understand, segment, target and engage consumers; establish and monitor success measures; and maximize return on investment.

Nov
2005 -
Apr
2007

User Experience Director / imc2

Acting as the glue that binds ideas and execution, I was responsible for understanding business and brand objectives, crafting a strategic approach for success, and overseeing the tactical execution of user experience (UE) deliverables (including content development, information architecture and visual design). As the owner of the user experience brief, my primary role was to understand our clients’ brands, business goals, market dynamics, and the needs of their target audience to establish a clear direction for digital marketing and creative development.

My UE leadership extended across several brands and therapeutic categories for clients including Pfizer, GlaxoSmithKline, Eli Lilly, Berlex/Bayer Schering Pharmaceuticals and Biogen. I regularly participated in new business development, including annual wins of over $3MM in gross revenues.

Feb
2003 -
Nov
2005

Manager--User Experience Group / Avenue-e Health Strategies

As the department lead, my team and I were responsible for all interactive design, copywriting, information architecture and usability across all clients, including Forest Laboratories, AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Schering-Plough, Berlex and Boehringer-Ingleheim. Key experience included providing creative direction against a user experience brief, collaborating with agency partners to develop integrated communications across all media (print, web, direct mail, online, media, etc...), and guiding execution through deployment and ongoing maintenance.

Additionally, I was a member of agency leadership team, with input into the growth and long-term planning for the group, new business acquisition strategy, talent assessment, and management of full-time and freelance staff.